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News Ferry Va January 15th A.D. 1870.
Mr. R.M. Manley Supt.Education.
Dear Sir: I now take the opportunity to respond a letter just received from you on the 13 inst., dated and mail the 2nd ult.'69.
Dear sir, with thanks we did accept the offer. Sir, We had resolved to never to teach at Brooklyn again while the people were under their present condition.  I went immediately to Brooklyn the same day I received the letter from you and engaged a house and some scholars.I wants to commence teaching the 1st of February. We are going to teach for the small price of (25 cts) twenty five cents per month __ that is we will tax each scholar that to board us and to pay the rent of the school-house. In this neighborhood where so many children are, the reason of such few attending school is that the small ones are near naked.  This is the only way we (R.J.Medley & R. Edmonds) have to make our support as I have my mother to rent for and board and a little boy, and R. Edmonds has his wife and a half grown daughter and a little girl to board, and he are in his (80th) eightieth year.  We sympathized with the colored people people in their distress because they did and yet do desire very much to educate their children, and some themselves.  Please answer this letter immediately by return mail Monday or tuesday, and let me know how often you are going to pay us.  Dear sir: I wrote both letters with my own hand. Ralph Edmonds can't write, he only teaches the scholars to spell and to read and keeps good order in school.  we are going to divide the ($15.00) fifteen dollars with each of us as our pay for teaching.  Dear 
sir: You are respectfully invited to visit our school and see for yourself.  I would have written to you ere now but I just received your letter 18th of Jan '70 and I have attended the Post Office nearly every day since I wrote to you.  Please send me word where I can get suitable school-books at